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Given Kieferski's qualification "tolerant the times" I dont see that he is egregiously wrong. Emperor Ashoka who is considered kindness personified had Kalinga

by srean 6y ago

Given Kieferski's qualification "tolerant the times" I dont see that he is egregiously wrong. Emperor Ashoka who is considered kindness personified had Kalinga butchered among other places -- till his empire was big enough that more campaigns and conquests were unnecessary. At that point he turned the peaceful Buddhist.

legolas2412 6y ago
Uhh, ashoka wasn't called kind and peaceful for his kalinga conquest, but how he transformed afterwards. Unless you also think of nelson mandela as a terrorist?
- srean 6y ago
  > Uhh, ashoka wasn't called kind and peaceful for his kalinga conquest, but how he transformed afterwards. Yes exactly. Perhaps I did not write my comment well enough. Its debatable whether he actually became a non-violent pacifist out of remorse or whether most of the empire building was complete and he no longer had aspirations for more territory. Kalinga was important for its ports that Maurya empire needed more of.
drieddust 6y ago
Ashoka never turned pacifist. He got converted in 4th year of his reign and Kalinga war was waged in his 8th year. He waged wars and prosecuted Jains and Ajivikas. Sources are Buddhist text Mahavamsa and Divyavadana so should be considered accurate. Before Islamic invasion started, Hindu India had a rich history of religious tolerance with Ashoka as an exception yet he finds place in our history books and other great kings don't. Some example of tolerance from an era when killing people for their faith was normal in rest of the world. When Zoroastrians were prosecuted in Persia by Islam, they found refuge in India. Today's India's biggest conglomerate TATA Group is run by a Zoroastrianian family.[1] When a ship full of prosecuted Polish Jews Children touched the shores of Gujarat after refused entry by many state as they feared Nazis. Maharaj Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja took them in. Some of those kids are still alive.[2] [1] https://www.tata.com/ https://www.tata.com/ [2] https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-the-indian-oskar-schindler-took-in-1000-polish-children-during-wwii/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-the-indian-oskar-schindler...
- srean 6y ago
  You are very right about Jewish settlements in India, but the history goes far far far older, centuries older than you indicate. Jewish settlements in India (in Kerala, for example) are far older than European settlements. India hosts one of the oldest synagogues. They are very pretty visit if you get a chance. The so called 'anti-Semitism' (that ought to be called anti-jewish) was an European thing. In India they enjoyed great goodwill and still do.

by srean 6y ago

legolas2412 6y ago

Uhh, ashoka wasn't called kind and peaceful for his kalinga conquest, but how he transformed afterwards. Unless you also think of nelson mandela as a terrorist?

srean 6y ago
> Uhh, ashoka wasn't called kind and peaceful for his kalinga conquest, but how he transformed afterwards. Yes exactly. Perhaps I did not write my comment well enough. Its debatable whether he actually became a non-violent pacifist out of remorse or whether most of the empire building was complete and he no longer had aspirations for more territory. Kalinga was important for its ports that Maurya empire needed more of.

drieddust 6y ago

Ashoka never turned pacifist. He got converted in 4th year of his reign and Kalinga war was waged in his 8th year. He waged wars and prosecuted Jains and Ajivikas. Sources are Buddhist text Mahavamsa and Divyavadana so should be considered accurate. Before Islamic invasion started, Hindu India had a rich history of religious tolerance with Ashoka as an exception yet he finds place in our history books and other great kings don't. Some example of tolerance from an era when killing people for their faith was normal in rest of the world. When Zoroastrians were prosecuted in Persia by Islam, they found refuge in India. Today's India's biggest conglomerate TATA Group is run by a Zoroastrianian family.[1] When a ship full of prosecuted Polish Jews Children touched the shores of Gujarat after refused entry by many state as they feared Nazis. Maharaj Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja took them in. Some of those kids are still alive.[2] [1] https://www.tata.com/ https://www.tata.com/ [2] https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-the-indian-oskar-schindler-took-in-1000-polish-children-during-wwii/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/how-the-indian-oskar-schindler...

srean 6y ago
You are very right about Jewish settlements in India, but the history goes far far far older, centuries older than you indicate. Jewish settlements in India (in Kerala, for example) are far older than European settlements. India hosts one of the oldest synagogues. They are very pretty visit if you get a chance. The so called 'anti-Semitism' (that ought to be called anti-jewish) was an European thing. In India they enjoyed great goodwill and still do.